


One More Match [I Need It Like I Need This Broken Tooth]

by InkfaceFahz



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anxiety, Developing Friendships, Emotional bonding, Gen, Mid-Canon, brief reference to health problems, captains squad, moniwa please be friends with all of karasunos third years im crey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 07:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20792594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkfaceFahz/pseuds/InkfaceFahz
Summary: There's not a lot of time after the final point is called and Daichi finds out they'd be playing the same team they lost to at the Interhigh.But there's enough time for a few words with somebody. Somebody who can read the worries for the match in his head like an open book, probably because their own mind had written them a half dozen times before the dread they embodied came true against Daichi's own team: Dateko's former captain.





	One More Match [I Need It Like I Need This Broken Tooth]

There was a part of Daichi’s heart that felt mixed about the match result they just witnessed. After all, Aoba Johsai beaten them in the Interhigh after they felt the triumph of winning against Datekou… who just now lost to Aoba Johsai. Their first years seemed shaky, and they kept their heads low, especially the tallest one. One could see the new captain’s posture when they lined up was stiff, fists and face clenched, and he seemed to be sliding his gaze passed where Daichi and the rest of the team had been watching from… because his senpai who stopped officially participating in club activities after their loss to Karasuno at the Interhigh were seated just in front of them. 

“Daichi, let’s go get ready.” 

“I’ll follow, just give me a minute,” he replied, and walked down a step to the set of students in teal blazers. 

“- Yeah, let’s go see them,” he overheard the one with thick, dark hair say. His back was turned towards him, but the other two glanced up when he approached, and Moniwa Kaname turned to look. 

“Hey, there,” Daichi said. Moniwa blinked. 

“Sawamura-kun, hello.” 

Sasaya glanced between the other three before pulling the slightly-less-astute blonde boy next to him, interjecting, “Catch up with us, they’ll be down on the court for a few minutes anyway, just don’t be too long.” 

“You probably need to go get ready. -- Your face looks terrible. I didn’t notice when we came in. You got hurt?” Moniwa asked, his voice rising in concern. Daichi waved his hand dismissively. 

“I’ll have to go to the dentist after the tournament, I’ll be fine. I know you’re a worrier,” he said with a small smile, which Moniwa glanced downward and smiled a little. It was just a flicker, but Daichi saw it. 

“You okay, yourself?”

“What do you mean?” 

“You got pretty intense watching the match, not that there's something wrong with that,” he said. 

Daichi didn’t say his full thoughts, which were that he could see that Moniwa wanted to be down there, leaning so far forward he could have pitched right off the edge and onto the court. Moniwa seemed to oscillate between meekness and resolute passion, but the times Daichi had shook his hand and played against his team, it felt like a sense of control flowed through him, just enough stability for his chaotic team to keep them grounded, supported. Something about him reminded Daichi of himself. They’d talk every now and again in group messaging where third years traded study tips and gossip, saw each other at social events maybe once or twice, but Daichi wasn’t going to ask why he didn’t stay on as captain. He didn’t feel quite entitled to something that personal. 

“Well -- I did, yea,” Moniwa admitted, stuffing his hands in his uniform pockets. “I couldn’t attend the earlier matches because it’s a tech shop week and I had to finish assignments, so it felt like my heart was racing Kamasaki’s car on the way over here, hoping to see them.” He sighed.

“I… I think I just wanted… mostly Futakuchi and Koganegawa, I think they needed it the most, I wanted them to hear me supporting them.” He looked at the players and attendants filtering off the court. 

“The other two and I are gonna go see them now. Koganegawa looked pretty upset,” he added, his voice a little heavier. Daichi could only imagine having to watch Ennoshita hold a brave face in a loss while one of the first years hid his face. It wasn’t an image that helped his anxiety about the upcoming match.

“... Some of them are new, I can tell, but I think your kouhai played well. Seijoh’s… strong. They trashed us in the Interhigh.” 

“Neither you three or the three of us had the most confidence in ourselves,” Moniwa said, referring to the seniors of each club. Well, it was slightly blunt, but it was the truth. Fallen crows, crumbling walls… Daichi wondered if Moniwa also spent his first year frustrated by third years who acted resigned to loss. “That’s what it seemed like to me.” 

“I know why you’re worried, Sawamura-kun,” Moniwa said a bit quietly, and the two of them began walking towards the exit into the halls to find their respective classmates. Daichi glanced over at him. “I get it.” 

“You don’t have to hold back if you want to tell me something,” Daichi prodded.

“You’re worried about facing that moment where you feel like you weren’t good enough to have one more game with your team.” Daichi could feel the cold anxiety like an icicle through his heart start to warm up, hearing somebody else say it for him. 

“Akimiya-kun from Ohgiminami and I talked about it after the Interhigh. That was his last tournament no matter what… he had to stop for health reasons,” Moniwa confided, “But he still felt the same disappointment… that irrational belief you have when you’re the captain... that it’s all on you.” 

“That you’ll have to line up, bow, go home, and be alone with just that thought and your uniform,” Moniwa continued. It was reassuring that the feelings Daichi didn't really deal with made sense to anyone else, but also unnerved him to feel like somebody was in his head. 

“But I don’t think you should be.” Daichi stopped at the doorway. The other boy glanced back at him. 

“C’mon, Sawamura-kun -- you have to go lead your team,” he said, that signature small, sharp smile reappearing. “Who else is going to ground your flying #10?” 

Daichi’s expression finally lost the hardness that it developed as he thought about shaking Oikawa’s hand again and hoping… no, trying and working to make sure he got to play another game with his team. 

“Well, Suga’s a bit wild, and Asahi's still working on his... sensitivity, so I guess it has to be me,” he shrugged and joked lightheartedly. 

“Better go catch up with your other two friends and make sure your kouhai are ready to deal with mine next season. We’ve both got some strange ones we had to deal with,” Daichi laughed as they entered the hall packed with spectators and players going every which way to get to one or the other of the semifinals.

“Strange strengths, though,” Moniwa replied, then waved as the two separated to join two different clots of colors among the people. 

“True enough. Thanks.” 

“Good luck on earning another match with them.” 

“I will.” 

And he did. 

He spotted Moniwa in the stands at the final against Shiratorizawa the next day. He waved down to Daichi, smiled, and nodded. 

_One more game. _


End file.
